Get Involved with Extension Today!

When you get involved with University of Illinois Extension you positively impact the world you live in, right here, right now, right in your own backyard.  Whether your passion is youth, the environment, gardens, agriculture or education, investing your time and money with Extension will benefit your neighborhood, your children, your family, your local economy, your natural resources. 

Impact in These Program Priority Areas:

• Positive Youth Development
  

• Protecting and Appreciating our Environment
  

• Community Leadership & Organizational Development
  

• Nurturing Children & Supporting Adult Caregivers
  

• Growing & Accessing Adequate Food to Prevent Hunger
  

Read on for more details on our signature local programs.   

  4-H & Youth Development

  This national program helps local youth learn skills

   for living through numerous clubs, specialty camps,

  fair exhibits and more! 

Rock Island County 4-H Offers:

• 18 Community Based 4-H Clubs that meet monthly at various communities across the county.
  

• Diverse SPIN Clubs (SPecial INterest Clubs) on subjects like Animal Discoveries, Scrapbooking, Baking, American Girls/History, and Sewing.  These clubs are led by volunteers and meet at Rock Island County Extension
  

• Spring and Winter Classes that provide 6-weeks of training on a special topic.  Classes have covered Science, Cooking, Babysitting, Visual Arts.
  

• More than 200 4-H Exhibit Opportunities are offered to 4-H members at the Rock Island County Fair.  From showing their horses, sheep or chickens, to general projects in rocketry, photography, cooking, and more!
  

• After School Programs at Schools including 3 new robotics clubs.              
  

• Operation Military Kids” activities for children of active duty military
  

• Handy Buds 4-H for Individuals with Special Needs
  

• Specialty summer camps - on a variety of topics from science and cooking to Harry Potter and more!
  

Horticulture

Extension Horticulture Educators partner with trained Master Gardeners to assist families, schools and community groups with educational programs, youth gardens, school enrichment programs, and related horticulture projects.

Master Gardeners provide:

• Horticulture Therapy to Senior Citizens
  

• Nursery School “Lessons in Gardening”
  

         Seminar at the iwireless Center

• Home Horticulture Spring Series
  

• Annual Spring Plant Sale
  

• Free Horticulture Information Hotline
  

• 4-Seasons of Gardening TeleNet Workshops
  

• And more!
  

Family Life

Through Family Life Programs, we provide workshops for adult care givers; Classes to motivate the disenfranchised; Materials to educate parents on their child’s development at every stage; Advice for helping children succeed in school and assistance with other parenting and family issues.

SNAP-Ed

SNAP Ed (Supplemental Nutrition Program) provides important programs and information on what is needed for good nutrition, food buying skills, food preparation, and safe handling of foods.  SNAP-Ed reaches out to all ages, from schools to community centers, to teach kids and adults first hand about healthy eating on a budget.

 

SNAP-Ed partners with these agencies, and more:

• Family Community Resource Centers
  

• DHS/Food Stamp Offices
  

• Head Start Sites & Day Cares
  

• Housing Authorities and Public Schools 
  

• Senior Citizen Centers
  

• Meal Sites
  

• Public Libraries 
  

• Farmer’s Markets
  

• Homeless and/or Transition Shelters
  

• R I County Women, Infants & Children (WIC)
  

• Grocery Stores, Churches and more!
  

Community & Economic Development

Rock Island County Extension and our CED Educator partners with local agencies to assist with grant writing, research projects, special events, and other community and economic development programs.  Through University of Illinois Extension, we offer leadership development programs for public officials through our Legislative Telenets and CCO program. 

Family & Commercial Agriculture

Our local agriculture programs offer a wide range of classes, workshops, seminars and teleconferences featuring the latest research on important topics to the family and commercial farmer. 

We partner with Rock Island County Farm Bureau and other agencies to bring you these Agriculture Programs:

• Ag in the Classroom
  

• Corn and Soybean Classic
  

• Farm Income Workshop 
  

• Pesticide Education Safety
  

• Fruit & Vegetable Growers Workshops 
  

• And more!